I have a happy confession to make. Ever since I started working at Pioneer Valley Books in 2017, I have loved the Super Sam books. As I read all the books I would be talking about to teachers, the Super Sam books really grabbed me and captured my imagination. And today, they still do. I think any student reading them will feel the same. I’d like to share one with you in particular: Let’s Go with Super Sam from Super Sam Set 1.
The word count of this book is 32, and it has 16 pages—16 colorful and lively pages, all there for the emergent reader just finding their way into the wonderful world of literacy. Each page includes one line of text and an illustration of what the text is describing. On each page we meet a member of Sam’s family, and each one of them is running. Sam’s parents are running, his sister is running, his brother, grandpa, and pets, one by one, are all dynamically running across page after colorful page. I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid, I ran everywhere. I ran even when I didn’t have to run! So the concept of running hither and yon will probably be familiar to every student (and adult!) who reads this book.
When we reach the last page, we finally meet Sam and encounter an imaginative plot twist! What is Sam doing? Is he running too? Aside from the winsome pictures in this book, Let’s Go with Sam provides all the appropriate elements for any new reader. The font is easy to see and the spacing between the words is clear. This book can be used to teach new readers one-to-one matching, how to move from left to right across the page, and even a few sight words. This is a book that lends itself to multiple readings. And after your students outgrow the book’s simple text, its charm will last forever.
Luckily, there are many more Super Sam books to choose from, including the rest of the books in Super Sam Set 1 (Level A) and the Super Sam Early Chapter Books (Levels F and G).
Thanks for visiting Colleen’s Cozy Book Corner! See you next month!
